Container



g 1942' J. M. HOTHERSALL 2,293,060 I CONTAINER Filed Jan. 24, 1939 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 Aug. 18, 1942. J. M. HOTHERSALL 2, 0

4 couumnn I Filed Jan. 24, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 gmrroa. I

, Y ATTORNEYS Patented Aegis, 1942 UNITED STATES. PATENT or-rice f 2.29:,oeo I.

John M. Hother sail, BrooklyinN. Y.,'assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 24, 1939, senarnmzsascs 1 Claim. (01. 229-51) The present invention relates to fibre. containers or the like and has particular reference to a one-piece container having a tearing tab for producing adispenisng opening therein.

An object of the invention is the provision of a one-piece fibre container .or the like wherein a portion of the container is scored and is provided with an opening tab extending. on the outside of the container where it is readily accessible for tearing loose the scored portion so that a dispensing opening will result when the tab is pulled in the proper direction.

Another object is the provision of such a onepiece fibre container wherein the tab is an integral part. of the container, the one-piece blank for the container being shaped so that the tab is included within the regular boundaries of the blank and in such a manner that no extra ma- 3 terial is required. {Another object is the provision of a one-piece I fibre container of this character wherein the opening tab may be made of single or double thickness as required, or may be made as one tab located at one side of the container or as two tabs, one at each of two sides of the container so that forming of one or more dispensing openings may be made as desired.

' Another object is the provision of such a onepiece fibre container wherein the opening tab is arranged to produce in the container an opening which will permit fiexing of the adjacent walls into a pouring spout for conveniently dispensing the container contents.

Numerous other objects and advantages of th invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings,

, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

' the container shown in Fig. l is made;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are perspective views showing the container in different stages of formation, Fig. 4 having parts broken away;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the completed container with its opening tab in the position it 1 will assume after being used to tear back a por- 'tion of the container top wall to produce a dispensing opening therein;

Fig. '1 is a perspective view of the upper end of such an opened container turned into disadjacent thedispensing opening flexed to produce a pouring spout;

Figs. 8 and-9 are plan views respectively of modified forms of container blanks each made 'from'a single piece of fibre material; and

Figs. 10 and 11 are perspective views of the respectiv modified forms of partially assembled containers made from the blanks shown-in Figs. 8 and 9, a part of Fig. 11 being broken away.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention the fibre container of one of the forms illustrated in the drawings is preferably made in one piece from a substantially rectangular fibre blank ll (Fig. 2). The blank is formed into a rectangular container body by being folded along parallel crease lines I! which set of! flat body sidewall portions l3, ll, l5 and IS. A lap seam portion ll formed on the outer edge of'the wall por-' tion I! is secured, preferably by adhesive, tothe wall portion, [3 adjacent its outer edge ,to hold Y the ends of the folded blank together in body form as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Bottom closure flaps 2|, 22, 23 24 (Fig. 2) are formed integrally with the respective body side wall portions l3, l4, l5, l6 along their lower edgesv to provide a bottom for the container. These flaps may be folded inwardly. one after another and along a bottom crease line 26 in the usual overlapping manner and seamed together as by adhesive to produce a container ready to receive its contents. For filling, the container may be formed as shown in Fig. 4 although itwill be obvious that the top may be sealed first and the container filled through the bottom.

In a similar manner top closure flaps 31, 32, 33 (Fig. 2) are formed integrally with the respective body side wall portions l3, l4, l5 along their top edges which are defined by a top crease line 35. A portion of this crease. line 35 adjacent the top flap 3| and also a portion adjacent the top flap 33 are preferably scored as at 3'6 (dotted portions of the crease line) to facilitate subsequent opening of the container after filling as will be hereinafter explained.

The outer end of the top flap 33 is provided with a container opening tab'38 which iscut out of the upper right corner of the blank. This tab is so shaped that a small curved lip 39, attached -to the upper end of the body side wall portion I6,

may also be cut from the stock in the upper right 1 corner of the blank. That portion of theblank pensing position and showing the container walls in its upper right corner which is cut away from the tab and the lip is the only portion of the blank which is wasted.

After the container is filled with its contents,

if the bottom is the part sealed first, the top flaps are folded down into container closing position. Flap 32 and the lip 39 are first folded into place in the manner best shown in Fig. .4. Flap 33 is then folded down on top of the flap 32' and lip 39 and secured in place with a suitable adhesive as best shown in Fig. 5. Finally the flap 3| is folded down on top of the fiap 33 and fastened in place with adhesive thereby completinggthe steps in producing the finally sealed container illustrated in Fig. l.

It should be noted that in folding these top flaps into place that the opening tab 38 is adjacent the lip 33 and hangs down adjacent the side wall portion l6 onthe outside of the body where it is readily accessible. The scored sections 36 of the crease line 35 are on opposite sides of the tab 33; The finished container therefore has a double thickness throughout its top and half of the area containing the fiap 32 is of three thicknesses. The opening tab is connected with or constitutes an integral part of the single inside top fiap 33.

. To open the container it is only necessary to bend the tab 38 back over the closed top of the container and pull it gently. This pulling action 'separates the adhesively secured flaps 3|, 33,

from the lip 39 and also tears them back along the scored sections 36 of the top crease line 35 as best shown in Fig. 6. There is thus produced in the top of the container an opening 4| (Fig. 6) from which the contents of the container may be dispensed. By slightly pinching the sides of the container adjacent the opening, the lip 39 is readily snapped outwardly and shaped into a convenient pouring spout as best shown in Fig. '7.

Fig. 8 illustrates a modified form of a one-piece blank of the same style for producing a container similar to that shown in Fig. 1 but one having a doublethickness opening tab instead of one of single thickness. In this blank the parallel crease lines I2 set off the same fiat side wall portions |3, |4, I5, I6 and the side seam lap section N. This modified blank is folded in the same manner to produce the body of the container. The same bottom flaps 2|, 22, 23, 24 are also provided on the side wall portions and are folded along the same bottom crease line 26 and secured by adhesive as in the preferred form.

The top flaps differ slightly from those of the preferred form. Flaps 5|, 53, 54 are provided on the respective side wall portions I3, l5, H5 at the top crease line 35. Adjacent the side wall portion M, the blank stock between the flaps 5| 53 is cut through along a'pair of curved lines 55 and along a straight connecting line 51. These cuts set oil a pair of adjacent opening tabs 58 and a' lip portion 59. The lip is connected to the side wall portion I4 and one tab is integral with the fiap 5| while the other tab is attached to or is integral with the fiap 53. The scored sections 36 of the crease line 35 are located adjacent and on opposite sides of the lip 53 as shown in Fig. 8.

When the fiaps are folded in and secured with adhesive to close the top of the container, fiap 54 and lip 59 are first positioned at right angles to the sides. Then fiap 53 is folded down over these and finally fiap 5| is secured down on top of flap 53. In this construction a full double top results, but both opening tabs 53 are bent down and are brought together and into alignment at the same edge of the container. This provides a double thickness tab which is disposed on the outside of the container and is located in between the scored sections 36. Opening of the sealed container and forming of the pouring spout is effected in the same manner as in the preferred form.

In the second modification of the invention as exemplified in Figs. 9 and 11, the side walls and the bottom flaps are the same as in the preferred form but again the top flaps are arranged differently. In this form there is provided an opening tab of single thickness adjacent each of two opposite edges of the container top so that 1 .one or two openings may be produced. In this blank top flaps 6|, 62 are formed integrally with the side wall portions l3, l5'along their top edges as defined by the top crease line 35. There are now provided four scored sections 36 instead of two as in the preferred form, one scored section being disposed adjacent each vertical edge (as viewed in Fig. 9) of the fiaps 6|, 62.

The stock of the blank between the flaps 6|, 62 and adjacent the side wall portion I4 is cut away along curved lines 63, and along a straight line 64 to provide an opening tab 65 along the adjacent edge of the fiap 62 and also a lip section 66 which connects with the side wall portion l4. In a similar manner the upper right corner of the blank is the flap 62 and secured in place. This construction provides an opening tab of single thickness adjacent each of the opposite shorter end edges of the top closure with scored sections 36 on opposite sides of each tab. A dispensing opening, therefore, may be made at either or both edges of the top as desired.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing-from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

A one-piece container comprising atubular body having side walls, pairs of inner and outer overlying end closure fiaps formed integrally with said side walls and inwardly folded along fold lines and sealed together to close the ends of said body, and opening tabs integrally formed on adjacent ends ofone pair of oppositely disposed flaps, the fold line of said one pair of flaps being weakened adjacent said tabs, said tabs overlying each other in superimposed position and depending on the outside of the container from an end thereof when the fiaps are in sealed relation, thereby providing a multiple thickness tab unit disposed adjacent one end edge of the container for tearing away a portion of said sealed fiaps to produce a dispensing opening in said end of the container. 

